California Lawsuits Must Have Different Focus

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This month two plaintiff groups challenging the California school finance system have resubmitted their complaints to an Alameda County Superior Court Judge who ruled in January that the state constitution does not require any set level of funding for schools.

In his ruling, Judge Steven Brick wrote that there is no equal protection for student against inadequate funding, “however devastating” the results might be. The Judge said, however, that an amended lawsuit could move forward if it focused on whether an equal opportunity for students to master state content standards existed in the state.

Both lawsuits were re-filed with amended complaints but the parties also reserved the right to file an appeal of the original ruling.